Electric heater



Aug. 16, 1938. E. w.

PHILLIPS 2,126,918

ELECTRIC HEATER Filed March 17, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet l J9 1 43.1. 69 jgfle. i m it ?g?% @55 w /0 gwuwom 15'. Wfhilli m' Aug. 16, 1938. E. w. PHILLVIPS ELECTRIC HEATER 4- Shecs-Sheet 2 Filed March 17, 1957 1'. WPhiZZips Aug. 16, 1938. E. w. PHILLIPS 2,126,913

ELECTRIC HEATER Filed March 17, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 4 6 5 ziizzkzzzzps Gum/Mm.

1933- E. w. PHILLIPS 2,126,918

ELECTRIC HEATER Filed March 17,1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Aug. 16, 1938 UNITED STATES rarest orrics Claims.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is adapted to be used, primarily, for heating the air of a room. The air to be heated is forced through a radiator, containing a liquid,

5 which, in turn, is heated. The invention aims to provide novel means whereby the air may be drawn, wholly or in part, from the floor of the room, it being possible to shift the point of air inlet to a place above the floor of a room. Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the class described in which neither the air nor the liquid in the radiator will be chilled at starting. A further object of the invention is to supply a novel means whereby access may be had to working parts which need adjustment or repair,

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the present invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 shows in front elevation, a heater constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the heater;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 44 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

The device forming the subject matter of this application comprises av housing which may be 45 made in various ways, without departing from the spirit of the invention. The housing may embody a box-like base I, which is open at the top. The base I carries castors 2 whereby the heater may be trundled about readily from one place of use to another. In the bottom of the base I (Fig. 3) there is an opening 3. Referring to Fig. 5, it will be seen that a horizontal baffle 4 is disposed below the opening 3 in the bottom of the heaters (hereinafter described) from striking downwardly to the floor of the room. At its forward edge, the baiile i has an upstanding flange 5 (Fig. 5) which is secured at l to the bottom of the base i. As can be seen in Fig. 3, there are air inlet openings Q in the bottom of the base i, in front of the flange (-3 of the bafile i.

The housing comprises a box-like casing ill having handles it on its top. The casing ill is open at the bottom and receives the base i. In the front wall of the casing ill (Fig. 1), there is an opening 12, across which extends a screen or grill ld secured to the front wall of the casing. The lower portion Hit) of the back wall of the casing iii is fixed, but the back wall of the easing includes a closure l5 (Figs. 2 and 5) which is hinged at 18 to the rear edge of the top of the casing it, the construction being such that the closure can be opened to give access to mechanism within the housing. A latch ii on the fixed lower part iilil of the rear wall of the casing Ml engages the lower portion of the hinged closure 15, to hold it closed. In the closure i5 there are air inlet openings [8, controlled by a rotatable damper Iii connected to the closure l5 by a pivot element iii. The damper i9 has a rearwardly projecting handle 2i, extended through one of the openings i8 and constituting means whereby the damper :9 may be operated to close the openings E8, or to uncover them moreor-less. The damper 69 works beind a screen '22 (Fig. 5) secured to the closure iii beyond the periphery of the damper ill.

As shown in Fig. 5, a radiator 23 of any desired construction is located within the casing Ill, at the front thereof, and closely adjacent to the screen or grill i l. The radiator 23 has a back-- wardly prolonged upper tank 2%, which extends entirely across the radiator structure, from side to side, as disclosed in Fig. 4. The radiator 23 has a similar backwardly prolonged lower tank 25 (Fig. 5). The filling means for the upper tank 225 extends upwardly through an opening in the top of the casing iii.

The radiator 23 is provided with backwardly extended side walls ill (Figs. 3 and 5), connected to the ends of the tanks 2t and 25. The side walls 2i are supplied at their upper ends with inwardly projecting flanges 62 (Fig. 6) which engage the top of the casing iii and support the casing. The side walls Z'i of the radiator widen as they extend downwardly, as shown in Fig. 5 and are provided on their rear edges with inwardly projecting flanges H28 which terminate adjacent to the top of the lower tank 25. The side walls 21 extend downwardly below the lower tank 25, and are provided at their lower edges with inwardly projecting feet 23 (Figs. 6 and 5) which engage the bottom of the base i of the radiator housing, and, thus, the radiator is supported in the base I of the housing. A sheet 29 of heat insulating material may be secured to the upper surface of the lower tank 25, as shown in Fig. 5, and heat insulating material may be employed wherever considered desirable or necessary.

An overflow receptacle 3i) (Figs. 5 and 4) is supported by the lower tank and is located at one side of the casing Iii. An overflow tube 3| extends downwardly into the overflow receptacle 30 from the upper tank 24. outwardly bowed delivery pipes 32 (Figs. 4 and 6) are joined to and communicate with the lower tank 25, the upper ends of the delivery pipes being connected to and in communication with the upper tank 24. The return pipes 32 are adequately jacketed, as indicated at 33, to prevent radiation from them.

The radiator 23 includes a rear wall 34 (Figs. 4, 5 and 6), extended between the side walls '2'! and between the upper tank 24 and the lower tank 25. To the rear wall 34, and opening therethrough, is secured a backwardly prolonged tubular sleeve 35, the axis of which is horizontal. The sleeve 35 extends rearwardly to a point closely adjacent to the closure l5 which forms part of the rear wall of the casing 10, as seen in Figs. 5 and 2. The ends of a horizontal upper sustaining bar 36, and the ends of a horizontal lower sustaining bar 3! (Fig. 4) are secured to the side walls 27 of the radiator 23. In their intermediate portions, the sustaining bars 36 and 3'! are connected by securing elements 33 to the tubular sleeve 35, the lower bar 31 being disposed at some distance to the rear of the upper bar 36, as Fig. 5 will make manifest. Notches 40 are formed in the rear end of the sleeve 35 (Fig. 5) and the material freed in the formation of the notches 4i) is turned outwardly to form ears 4| (Fig. 4) A motor support 39, in the form of a bar, is seated in the notches M1, and has its ends connected to the ears 4| by securing devices 42.

An electric motor 43 (Figs. 4 and 5) is disposed within the tubular sleeve 35, and the rear end of the motor it is secured. at M to the supporting bar 39. The shaft of the electric motor 43 car ries a suction and blast fan 55, disposed within the sleeve 35 and located closely adjacent to the radiator 23 (Fig. 5). At its rear end, and in its lower portion, the tubular sleeve 35 is cut away, as seen at 63, to form an opening whereby air proceeding upwardly from the bottom of the housing, as hereinafter described, may find a ready entrance into the sleeve 35.

A slide or drawer, disposed horizontally below the lower tank 25, is provided, and includes a base plate 4] (Fig. 5). The base plate 47 is supplied With a large elongated opening 48, shown in Fig, 3. The base 4'! of the slide has depending side flanges 49 (Figs. 5 and 6) which ride slidably on the inwardly projecting feet 23 of the side walls 21 of the radiator 23. At its forward end, the base ll of the slide has a depending forward i'iange 50. At the rear edge of the base 4? of the slide there is an upstanding rear flan e 5i (Figs. 5 and 4) which has a forwardly extended lip 52, adapt-ed to overlap the rear portion of the top of the lower tank 25. A bracket plate 53 is secured to the flange 5! of the slide and extends downwardly below the base plate 4'! of the slide. In

the bracket plate 53, a plurality of insulating thimbles 5d are mounted.

Electrical heaters 55 (Figs. 3, 6 and 5) are secured at 56 to the upper surface of the base 41' of the slide, and have depending terminals 57, extended downwardly through the opening 48 in the base of the slide. The circuit conductors 58 for the heaters are connected to the terminals 53 and extend backwardly through the insulating thiinbles 54, the said circuit conductors extending upwardly to switches 59, located on the top of the casing It). The circuit for the motor 43 is marked by the numeral Eli, and extends upwardly to a switch Bl on the top of the casing it).

Either of the heaters 55 may be put into operation by actuating the appropriate switch 59, or both of them may be put into operation at once. Through the instrumentality of the switch 6|, the motor 33 may be caused to drive the fan 45, at the will of an operator. The wiring, and the operation of the heaters 55 and the fan 45, relatively to each other, may be arranged as the operator desires, that being a matter which can be determined simply by selecting ordinary commercial switches of various constructions, for installation at some or all of the places designated by the switches 6! and 59.

As to general operation, let it be supposed that the heaters 55 are in operation, and that the motor 43 is driving the fan 45. At the outset, the operator closes the damper IQ of Figs. 2 and 5, so that air cannot enter through the air inlet openings l8, directly into the rear end of the sleeve 35. The air then is drawn upwardly from the fioor of the room, about the edges of the bafiie of Fig. 5, through the openings 8 in the forward flange 5 which supports the baffle plate, or through the openings 9 (Fig. 3) in the bottom of the base I. The air passes upwardly through the opening 3 in the bottom of the base I, and is pre-heated by the heaters 55, the base 47 of the slide being in a heated condition. The air, having been pro-heated, enters the tubular sleeve 35 through the opening of Fig. 5 and is'driven by the rotating fan 45 through the radiator 23,

where the air is heated chiefly. It is to be observed, again, that the air is pre-heated before it passes through the radiator 23, and, therefore, there is no chilling of the water or other solution, in the radiator 23, at starting.

After the device has been in operation for a little while, or when the operator desires to regulate the temperature, the damper IQ of Figs. 2 and 5 is opened more or less. Then, the air inlet apertures 18 of Fig. 2 are uncovered, wholly or in part, and air, drawn by the fan 45, passes directly through the machine, from front to back. The damper l9 enables the operator to regulate the temperature of the room as occasion may demand. Because the air can be made to enter solely through the opening 3 in the bottom of the base I and come into contact with the heated base 41 of the slide on which the heaters are mounted, the cold air is drawn from the floor of the room at starting. As the air in the room becomes heated, down to the floor, it is necessary no longer to draw the air exclusively from the floor, and then the damper l9 may be opened, as hereinbefore described.

The heaters 55 raise the temperature of the liquid in the lower tank 25, the heated liquid rises through the delivery pipes 32 to the upper tank 24. The liquid passes from the upper tank 24 downwardly through the radiator 32 into the lower tank 25, to be heated again. Because the delivill ery pipes 32 are thoroughly jacketed, as shown at 33, there is practically no radiation from said pipes, and a corresponding loss of heat is avoided.

As the liquid in the radiator 23 and in the tanks 25 and 24 expands, it may flow through the pipe 3|, into the overflow tank 35. The overflow tank 30 requires but little attention because, as the pressure in the tanks 24 and 25 in the radiator 23 is reduced, upon cooling, the liquid is sucked back into the upper tank 24, from the overflow tank 30, through the pipe 3 I.

Should repairs to the heating system be necessary, the casing ll! may be lifted off the base I by means of the handles H, and the radiator structure and all of the working parts of the device may be lifted out of the base. Then. the slide, of which the member 4? of Fig. 5 constitutes a part, may be pulled rearwardly and removed from the radiator structure, access being had easily to the parts of the heating mechanism which are shown in top plan in Fig. 3.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A device of the class described comprising a housing having an air inlet in its bottom, a radiator combined with the housing, a tank communicating with the lower portion of the radiator, means for heating the tank, the heating means being located below the tank and above the air inlet in the path of the air entering the housing by way of the inlet, means for conducting heated liquid from the tank to the upper portion of the radiator, a sleeve extending backwardly from the radiator and having an opening located within the housing and receiving air derived through the inlet, means under the control of an operator for cutting ofif the flow of air which passes through the sleeve thereby to facilitate a preheating of the air supply furnished independently by the inlet and the opening, and means for creating a draft of air through the sleeve and through the radiator.

2. A device of the class described comprising a closure movably mounted on the rear wall of the housing, a housing having an air inlet in its lower portion and having side walls, a radiator combined with the housing, a tank communicating with the lower portion of the radiator, means for heating the tank, the heating means being located in the path of the air entering the housing by way of the inlet, means for conducting heated liquid from the tank to the upper portion of the radiator, a sleeve extending backwardly from the radiator to the closure and having means for receiving air derived through the inlet, means under the control of an operator for governing the flow of air which passes through the sleeve independently of the air supply furnished by the inlet, a motor, an air impelling means driven by the motor, and a cross bar secured at its ends to the side Walls of the radiator, the cross bar carrying the motor, the sleeve being provided in its rear end with notches extended backwardly to the closure and receiving the cross bar.

3. A device of the class described comprising a housing having an air inlet in its bottom, a radiator combined with the housing, a tank communicating with the lower portion of the radiator, means for heating the tank, the heating means being located below the tank and above the air inlet in the path of the air entering the housing by way of the inlet, means for conducting heated liquid from the tank to the upper portion of the radiator, a sleeve extended backwardly from the radiator and having an opening located within the housing and receiving air derived through the inlet, means under the control of an operator for cutting oil" the flow of air which passes through the sleeve thereby to facilitate a preheating of the air supply furnished independently by the inlet and the opening, means housed within the sleeve for creating a draft of air through the sleeve and through the radiator, and a baille carried by the housing, the baflie extending backwardly beneath the inlet, in vertically spaced relation thereto, to adjust the flow of air into the sleeve by way of the opening and relatively to the air flow governed by the cutting-0d means.

4. A device of the class described comprising a housing including a base and a casing telescoped on the base, a radiator in the housing, an upper tank communicating with the radiator, a lower tank communicating with the radiator, the radiator having side walls extended downwardly with respect to the lower tank and supporting the radiator from the bottom of the housing, the upper end of the casing being supported on the upper ends of the side walls, means disposed below the lower tank and between the side walls for heating the lower tank, a conduit connecting the tanks, means for admitting air into the housing, and motor operated mechanism within the housing for impelling air through the radiator.

5. In a device of the class described, a box-like base and a box-like casing disposed thereabove and cooperating with the base to define an enclosing housing, a radiator in the housing and supported removably on the base, the radiator comprising upper and lower tanks, the upper tank supporting the casing, a conduit connecting the tanks, a sleeve secured to and extended backwardly from the radiator to the rear wall of the 

